Tenn. pastor calls for police to round up gays, says they should be 'put to death'

By GateHouse Media staff

Thursday

Jun 13, 2019 at 5:47 PMJun 14, 2019 at 6:51 PM

A Tennessee pastor who also worked as a sheriff's deputy is reportedly under investigation after a recording surfaced that showed him calling for gays to be rounded up by police and "put to death."

That pastor, Grayson Fritts, was an employee of the Knox County Sheriff's Department until recently, according to the Huffington Post.

The local district attorney's office said it will, as a result, examine all cases Fritts was involved in that are pending, the Knoxville News Sentinel reported.

“I find this speech personally offensive and reprehensible,” District Attorney Charme Allen said in a written statement obtained by Huffington Post and the News Sentinel. “As District Attorney, my constitutional obligation is to protect the integrity of the justice system.”

Fritts delivered the controversial sermon June 2 at All Scripture Baptist Church in Knoxville.

“Send the police in 2019 out to these LGBT freaks and arrest them,” Fritts says in the recording. “Have a trial for them, and if they are convicted then they are to be put to death. Do you understand that? It’s a capital crime to be carried out by our government.”

Fritts reportedly doubled down in a sermon this week, TV station WATE reported. But, he said, it would be up to the government, not everyday citizens, to execute members of the gay community.

“I’m not calling anybody in here to arms,” Fritts said, according to Huffington Post. “I’m not calling anyone here to violence. I’m saying it’s the government’s responsibility, is what I said.”